Thank you God

Before I forget

For late night emergency work crisis miracle remedies

That take 20 minutes rather than 6 hours.

Whew...

So Many Blessings

Sharing a meal, sharing a conversation, sharing some laughs, sharing a good read, sharing hair decorations, sharing leftovers, popovers and turnovers, sharing the keyboard, sharing my jacket on a cold day, sharing mint hot chocolate ice cream recipes, sharing computer fixing tips, sharing your last pocky stick, sharing that comfy spot with the pillow, sharing the desk space, sharing the light, sharing study time, sharing late nights, sharing midnight snacks, sharing free minutes after 9pm, sharing unlimited text messages, sharing laundry detergent, sharing highlighters, sharing some knowledge, some wisdom, some love, sharing stories, sharing worries, sharing fears, sharing joys, sharing blessings, sharing life, with beautiful family and friends..

The sky is dreary but the sun shines on. Have faith little one..

Happy

Ahh, the blessings of family :) I'm thankful for many many things this weekend, and that is one of the highest ones... A happy late Thanksgiving to everyone!!! Although each day is a day of thanks :)

I haven't updated in a suuuper long time - doh! Nuts. Mmmmm I had a really good hazelnut and peanut donut the other day from Tesco :) but really, so sorry to those who have been expecting to hear more from here! D: I cannot make up for it, but will try my best to post more!

As an attempt at a thoroughish update... pictures are now being posted to Picasa from my trip to Europe! Europe mainland, I mean. There's so much to write about that, haha, but those pictures will have to do for now... Schoolwork has definitely picked up a lot, and I've been madly reading and writing and coding and trying to read and write and, well, not really speak, Hebrew. Academic life at UCL is more challenging than academic life at Wellesley - I forget if I've already written about that - it's a lot less guided learning and a lot more "hey welcome to _____ your exam/essay is in 2.5 months have fun good luck" kind of thing, with sporadic assignments (courseworks) spattered between. I quite like that :) Although I do prefer Wellesley's taking care of us much more... Also, there's no good study space here. It's all so crowded wherever I go... I need better places to look maybe, or better times to try :/ I went to retreat this past weekend with the small group fellowship that I've settled with - ahhh it was a wonderful time :) I am reminded again and again of God's faithfulness in everything man, everything, and of His totally awe-some-ness that I dunno how to put into words - His love, His mercy, His wisdom, His sovereignty, His above-all of above-all... WOW it's flooring. Is that a word? He really puts "awe-filled" and "awesome" to a new level, or probably more so, to the one it belongs in.

In other news, our little Wellesley contingent and my flatmates are having a makeshift Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow! It's going to be a crazy fest with a mix of Asian and American and Britishish food, SO PUMPED YAAAAAY!!!! *dances around in flippy floppys!* I just put the bird into the fridge for an overnight brining :) Side note, the bird is chicken and not turkey... the turkeys were all too big to fit into our fridge. HAH! This will be my first ever attempt at roasting a whole chicken! We'll see how that goes tomorrow. I'm slightly afraid that it will blow up. Or shrivel up. Or burn up. Or something to those effects. What a great opportunity though... Thanksgiving! :) Also, I'm slowly picking up a Singaporean accent.. Just now walking back from small group I caught myself talking with the intonations that they speak with, and even after retreat I really had to try hard and stop myself from being a poser and blurting out 'lah's and 'meh's and 'loh's and etc in my sentences..

Mmm one more story of typical Lulu to end this post with (wow what bad English!! One would think that living in England would not result in this). Earlier today I was running from the kitchen (no, nothing blew up) but I rounded a corner too soon and ran into it. And subsequently fell into a heap. And of course, had a great laugh about it. With tears though, of remorse and of hunger (good thing there were snacks at OCF, and Sam's delicious blueberry crumb bars AHHH I ate too many for my own good). I was actually quite amazed at how much running into an inanimate object could hurt! Because it's definitely not the first time that's happened... I would say though that it was a pretty good example of poor proprioception, as in my rush to get to the front door I somehow forgot that my body was a bit wider than just my eye-span. So the moral of this story is to manage one's time better so that one does not rush to leave. Also, wear shoulder pads. You never know when they'll come in handy...

Sigh [of relief]

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness [your reasonableness, moderation, considerateness] be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything excellent or praiseworthy [things of virtue, whatever is commendable] - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:4-9

It's humbling

to reread my thoughts from the days past... some of them I wish I could let the world know more - I wish that everyone could also experience the great love of God like He allowed me to in those moments... some I know are not meant to be shared with the whole world in that extent, hahaha, that they are God's gifts, of personal, intimate, sometimes hard and sometimes softly spoken words of love... Never has love been so piercing and so burning - painful, yet healing... It's like medicine, but totally not. Or shall I say, medicine is like that, but totally not.

Whoaa

Take a look at your life. Look at what has been provided, look at what has been revealed, look at what has been taken away, look at how much God has changed you by showing you more of Himself.

Look at this series of major life changes that have been uncovered, that are being pulled through, that are coming up ahead. There are many MLC's! And God's working in you through them all.

Hallelujah

Hallelujah, your love makes me sing!

May you be filled each minute with HIM.

No matter how small we are, and we truly are so so small in view of God, yet in view of His loving mercy too, we are great...

Today is such a beautiful day... :) No rain at all, just sunshine on a non-cloudy day <3

I am also very hungry. And I broke my umbrella! Or rather, my umbrella broke, and it may or may not have been my doing... The hinge that connected two of the joints fell off... so I reconnected it with a paper clip. Yeaaaa ghetto problem solving!!!! :)

Sing sing sing! ATD has pushed me more than I thought I could be pushed... Ahhh God is good! <3

Grossness continued

Maybe it's because we're really really really just that gross inside. Maybe it's because we were born and tied and bound to this sinful nature that will not leave us no matter how much we scrub... maybe it's because that's how we were destined to be in the first place, because of the first sin of man so long ago... yet the fall began before the first bite was taken - it had started in their hearts first and foremost, and that is where all our sin first takes its root too... is it not? Maybe I'm wrong too...

I look at these words and they seem very far away... I think my eyes are just tired. They've seen too much sunshine today - though I love sunshine, there's only so much I can handle at one point.

What use is a weapon that sees no wear and no sharpening? That isn't wielded in battle? That's just left there in the dust, while the one who was supposed to use it gets beaten repeatedly, in small and large ways, b/c they themselves chose not to pick it up? Or just 'forgot' it was there? What use is anything if it is not actually used?

Where is your joy truly from?

Amazing --- that Christ died for me... that He chose me long before these rainy days, before the beginnings of time and space, and that even in these times He still gives me reminders of how much He loves me, even though I feel I not deserve forgiveness (which is true) and so decide that I shouldn't ask for it (which is not good because-therefore logic, even though it sounds pretty good to me)

So today I got a really weird bruise from setup - I had no idea how it happened, but it kept growing throughout the day - so by the end of the day (now) it was just a bit blob of purple on my hand. I thought it was funny at first, but upon seeing it in the midst of my blahness, I was suddenly pummeled by this song:

The nails in your hands, the nails in your feet, they tell me how much you love me. The thorns on your brow, they tell me how you bore so much pain to love me... And when the heavens pass away, all your scars will still remain, and forever they will say how much you love me.

Forever my love, forever my heart, forever my life is yours ~

Am I not already consecrated to God? Consecration happens once for all, and it happens everyday as well... it's an active choice, as it is a choice that God has made for us too who are saved - just as we are resanctified, we are also reconsecrated to Him day by day, as we make it intentionally so... and all in the grace of God.